2014

Year: 2014

Month: ALL

Pol Espargaro suffers injury blow in Qatar

10 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Pol Espargaro’s preparation for his rookie MotoGP season suffered a cruel blow in Qatar last night when he broke his left collarbone in a crash in the final hours of a promising pre-season...

Stefan Bradl ends pre-season with two crashes

10 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Stefan Bradl’s winter testing campaign certainly didn’t end on a high after he suffered two crashes on the final night of testing at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. The LCR Honda rider had...

Rear grip concern for Alvaro Bautista in Qatar

10 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Alvaro Bautista dropped from being fastest rider on the second night of MotoGP testing in Qatar to finish fifth at the conclusion of the final winter test yesterday evening. Bautista was unable to...

Scott Redding surprised by race run speed

10 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

British rider Scott Redding gave himself a morale boost heading into his rookie MotoGP campaign after he delivered an impressive first distance run on the new Honda RCV1000R production bike in Qatar...

Alvaro Bautista struggles on way to fastest time

09 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Alvaro Bautista might have been fastest on the second night of MotoGP testing in Qatar, but it was not an easy ride to the summit of the timesheets for the Gresini Honda rider. The former 125GP world...

Alvaro Bautista heads second night in Qatar

09 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Gresini Honda rider Alvaro Bautista led the way on the second night of MotoGP testing at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. A quickest lap of 1.55.194 saw the Spaniard finish 0.314s clear of...

Hard work pays off for Millsport Ducati

08 March 2014 by Simon Patterson

An intense pre-season testing schedule had paid off for the Millsport Ducati squad and their rider Jacob Smrz, as the privateer team finished day three of the Cartagena pre-season test rivalling their...

Hopkins finds pace early on BSB return

08 March 2014 by Simon Patterson

Former MotoGP podium finisher John Hopkins says he’s surprised at how quickly he’s managed to get back into fast lap times, after a year and a half away from competitive riding. Hopkins, who hasn’t...

Aleix Espargaro happy with opening night pace in Qatar

08 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Aleix Espargaro continued his pre-season giant-killing act in MotoGP tonight when the Forward Yamaha Open class rider beat a host of factory prototypes in Qatar. Fourth fastest in both Sepang tests...

Scott Redding happy to close gap to Nicky Hayden

08 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Scott Redding was satisfied with his performance on the opening night of MotoGP testing in Qatar after the Gresini rider finished within 0.4s of Nicky Hayden on the new production Honda RCV1000R...

Bradley Smith not happy to play second fiddle to Aleix Espargaro

08 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

British rider Bradley Smith admitted he was not happy to be outpaced by Aleix Espargaro on the opening night of testing at the floodlit Losail International Circuit in Qatar. Smith led the timesheets...

Bridewell fastest on day 2 at Cartagena

07 March 2014 by Simon Patterson

Tommy Bridewell has cemented his position as a 2014 MCE British Superbike championship contender, setting a blisteringly fast lap right at the end of day two of pre-season testing at Cartagena in...

Ioda Racing: Leon Camier situation ‘very hard’

07 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Ioda Racing boss Giampiero Sacchi has spoken of his disappointment at not being able to go ahead with a 2014 MotoGP deal for British rider Leon Camier. Former British Superbike champion Camier signed...

Suzuki re-thinking MotoGP strategy after Ducati Open move

07 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Ducati’s decision to move to the new Open class has already forced Suzuki into re-thinking its 2015 MotoGP strategy, and is likely to put pressure on Honda and Yamaha to do the same. Just three weeks...

Colin Edwards admits doubt over FTR chassis

07 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Colin Edwards has admitted it is looking increasingly unlikely that he will get the opportunity to race a British-designed and built FTR frame in the 2014 MotoGP world championship. A revised official...

Crutchlow baffled by front tyre issue in Oz race simulation

05 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

British rider Cal Crutchlow was left baffled by a front tyre issue that forced him to abort a planned full race simulation on the final day of Bridgestone’s crucial tyre test at the Phillip Island...

Movistar Yamaha born in five year deal

05 March 2014 by Simon Patterson

Yamaha MotoGP have confirmed recent paddock rumour by confirming that they have been joined by telecoms giant Movistar to become Movistar Yamaha for the next five years. The deal, a massive boost for...

Dovizioso: Expectations ‘not unbelievably high’ for 2014

05 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Andrea Dovizioso believes there won’t be any big improvement in Ducati’s fortunes in the early part of the 2014 MotoGP campaign, despite a positive pre-season campaign in Malaysia and...

Tito Rabat ‘lucky’ after big crash in Australia

05 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Marc VDS Racing Moto2 rider Tito Rabat admitted he was fortunate to escape injury after his pre-season testing campaign ended with a heavy crash on the final day of tyre testing at Phillip Island. The...

Jorge Lorenzo quickest at end of Phillip Island tyre test

05 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo completed his domination of this week’s Bridgestone tyre test in Australia today by setting the fastest time in cool and windy conditions at Phillip Island this afternoon. The Spaniard...

MCN Fantasy Road Race is go!!

05 March 2014 by MCN

With only days to go before the 2014 MotoGP season gets underway in earnest, MCN are pleased to unveil the all-new-look MCN Fantasy Road Race, which for the first time ever focuses on the Grand Prix...

Jorge Lorenzo evaluates new Yamaha bodywork in Australia

04 March 2014 by Jorge Lorenzo

Double MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo assessed a new fairing on the second day of the Bridgestone tyre test at Phillip Island today. The unbranded black carbon YZR-M1 fairing was evaluated by the...

Jorge Lorenzo remains on top in Australia

04 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Jorge Lorenzo remained in control of the Bridgestone tyre test in scorching hot conditions at the Phillip Island track in Australia today. The Spaniard improved his pace to a 1.29.133 today to edge...

2014 North West 200 festival launched

03 March 2014 by Stephen Davison

The programme of events for the Coleraine Borough Council sponsored Race Week Festival at the 2014 Vauxhall International North West 200 has been launched and it is packed with exciting activities for...

Valentino Rossi happy with new tyre endurance

03 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi declared himself happy with improved endurance from a range of new Bridgestone tyres he evaluated on the first day of testing at the Phillip Island track in Australia today. Rossi is...

Jorge Lorenzo leads Bridgestone tyre test

03 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo put his tyre woes in Sepang last week to one side to head the timesheets on the first day of an official Bridgestone test at Phillip Island today. Lorenzo was highly critical of...

Suzuki satisfied with testing progress

03 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Suzuki boss Davide Brivio is confident preparations for the Japanese factory’s full-time MotoGP return in 2015 are progressing well after a positive performance from Randy de Puniet in Malaysia last...

Ducati: Dovizioso and Crutchlow happy with Open strategy

03 March 2014 by Matthew Birt

Ducati boss Gigi Dall’Igna says he had the unanimous backing of Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow when steering the Bologna factory into the new MotoGP class in 2014. Ducati’s desperate need to...

Camier absent as FIM release final MotoGP entry list

28 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Leon Camier’s hopes of becoming a MotoGP rider have been dashed at the eleventh hour, as rumours of sponsorship problems keeping him from taking his Ioda Racing Aprilia seat have come true, with the...

Rossi on top as testing concludes

28 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Valentino Rossi has left the final official pre-season test of 2014 leading the way, as the Italian confirmed afterwards that he was feeling much more positive than this time last year. Just dipping...

Ducati confirm move from factory to open class

28 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Ducati have finally announced that they will make the move from factory to open class in 2014, with the team ditching their own electronics software in return for extra fuel, tyres and engine...

Will Marquez's broken leg slow him down?

28 February 2014 by MCN

Afte a flat track training crash, world champion Marc Marquez is currently sitting out the final Sepang test while he recovers from his broken leg. But the rookie champion has proven time and again...

Pedrosa fastest on day two at Sepang

27 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Dani Pedrosa has finished the second day at the Sepang in his customary position at the Malaysian track, topping the time sheets by 0.2 seconds at the circuit where he is traditionally dominant. ...

Breaking news: Hutchinson and Brookes in TT comeback!

27 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Ian Hutchinson and Josh Brookes will return to the Isle of Man TT this year, after an eleventh hour deal between SMR Yamaha, sponsor Milwaukee Tools and TT organisers will see the Yamahas line up on...

Marquez to miss Phillip Island test

26 February 2014 by Simon Patterson

Marc Marquez will sit out next week’s planned Phillip Island tyre test, despite initially aiming for a return just twelve days after breaking his fibula in a training accident. However, a medical...

Valentino Rossi bemoans new Bridgestone tyre direction

26 February 2014 by Matthew Birt

Valentino Rossi says he is mystified why a new range of Bridgestone rear tyres will be introduced for the 2014 MotoGP world championship. The Italian spent the majority of the opening day of the...